Valve



'Aqg.'3, 1937.y v J. E. ADERHOLD. JR 2,038,937

y' VALVE yFiled Sept. 2l. 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [IRUN INVENTOR. .75.56075 Ernza 72" ATTORNEY.

Patentes Aug. 3, 1937 UNITE-D STATES VALVE .meph 1:. Aeernold, Jr., Los' angeles, cani., ss-

signor to Walworth Patents Inc., Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application September 21, 1934, Serial No. 744,895'

2 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to valves and more particularly to rotary plug valves having lubricated" y seating surfaces.

From an early period in the art of lubricated plug valves it has been deemed essential that the plug'member be permitted to move from its seat in response to lubricant pressure in order to reduce the friction by increasing the clearance bel tween the plug and its seat and to adequately lubricate the .seating surfaces. Consequently, in

valves thus constructed each time the plug member leaves its seat there is opportunity afforded for line iluid to leak to the seating surfaces and wash away the lubricant adhering thereto. vThe corrosive and erosive action'of this leakage fluid on the seating surfaces necessitates the useof large quantities of lubricant to form a seal.

Furthermore, the provision for lifting or jacking .of the plug member is commonly made by utilizing a packing arrangement which performs the double function of preventing leakage and resiliently seating the plug. Hence the force necessary to seat the plug when applied through the packing renders the friction exerted thereby much greater than it would be were the packing used solely to prevent leakage. If the pressure on the packing is relieved to decrease thisfriction the plug will rise in its seat underline pres- Ysure and thus frictionally engage -with its retaining plate or bonnet Irendering the plug even harder to rotate.'

A primary object of this invention is to facilitate ,the operation of a valve while maintaining .the plug member rmly in its seat.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the friction between the plug and its holding down means to facilitate rotation of said plug.

Another object of this invention is to render a minimum amountof lubricant necessary to seal the valve and reduce friction between the plug and its seat.

Another object of the invention is to preventv undue wear on theplug and seat..

Another object ofthis invention istogmainb tain the valve packing under a pressure suitable for its leakage preventing function.

Another object of this invention is to eliminate destruction of the packing from constant changes in the amount of compression thereon.

Another object of the invention is to render the plug seating means readily accessible and easy 'to'maintain in good condition.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken ind the arrows.

'being provided with a tapered valve seat i4 ex-v tending transversely of the passageway i2. The larger end of the valve seat I4 is provided with a steppedrecess Iifor the receptionk of an annular cover i8 the underside of said cover being spaced from the bottom of the recess I6 as shown. Preferably a gasket 2u is interposed between the cover I8 and one face of the stepped recess i6 as shown. The usual bolts 22 spaced around av circle on the body I0 may be employed for securing it in position on the body.

Seated in the body it and rotatably engaging the valve seat i4 isa tapered plug member 24 having a stem 26 extending loosely through a suitable aperture 28 in the cover I8. .The shoulw der defined by said stem preferably lies flush with the bottom of recess I6 and, in like manner, is spaced from the underside of the cover I8. The aperture 2li is enlarged for a portion of its length to form a stuillng box 30 within which a 35 plurality of packing rings 32 may be compressed by means of `the packing gland 34 loosely -mounted on the stem. 'I'he gland 34 isprovided with a substantiallyelliptical head portion 36 through the major axis of which extend adiusto ing bolts 38. Although the packing l2 is described and shown as being in the form of a plurality of thin z rings or gaskets it will be understood that other types of packing such as metallic, composition,

'the cove? noted that the bottom face ofthe boxll and the bottom face of the areperpendiculartothedirectionin thecompreaaiveactionoi'theglandllis ered. 0on|equentiy.thepaekingwillbe preuedlaterallyagainsttheplrueteman willnotbearlongitudinallythereoninadirec- ,tlontendingtoholdtheplrulltoitaaeat.' Suitable means maybe provided for introducingluhrleantunderpreaauretotheseatingnrrface. TothisencLthevalve seat iliapmvided with circumferential grooves i! above andbelow thefiuidpassagewaylfandlongitudinalgroowes located on either eideofthepassagewayand terminating short of connection with the circumferentialgrooves. Theplugmember'flrnaybe provided with plurality of upper and lower dwar-irgr'ooveswhicheervetoconnectthelon-v gitudinai and circumferential grooves when the plugmer'nberisinfullopenandfullcledposition. Theupperdwarfgroovesareconnected with a luhricant'duct' extending laterally acrossthelarserendpftheplugflandintereeeting a lubricant reservoir Il extending axiallyoftheplugstemll. Thelubricentreservoir Ilmnybethreededforthereceptionofthe compressorecrewlbymeanlofwhichlubricant in the reservoir may be placed under pressure. In order to prevent reflux of lubricent whenthecompreasorecrewllisremovedasuitablecheckvalveilmaybehoueedthereinad- Jaoent the lower end thereof.

Itwiil be apparent that operation of thecompreor screw to force lubricant under prsure tendtolifttheplugmemherllfromitsseatdue tothevertical componentofpreeauresetupbetween the longitudinal grooves 44 andthevalve neat Il. Inthiainventionmeanshavebeenpro- 404 vided to prevent such lifting of the plug memtothetaperecleeatingrur-i'aceeofthevalve'willv ingthr'ough thebearirrg and shoulder Il. willl thus`adiusttheplugmember2l initseeatas willbeapparent. Swtableaecuringrneanamch lsthecctterpina1l,orlockwashers.rnaybe employedtolockthenutslzina'diustedpition onthel'tudsll.

Leakageofhrhricantfromthehearingnand theentranceofforeimmattertheretomaybe prevented'by theprovision of packing rings 1i imertedinsuitahlereceseesformedintheinner peripheryofthecollarllandyokeandprojeeting therefrom into engagement with the reducedportionlioftheplugstemaboveand beiowthebearingxll.

nrestem Il extends beyond theyoke and isprovidedwithapolygonal contour Il furthe lreception of a wrench whereby the plug may be rotatedinitsaeat. Preferablythisrotationof the plug from full-closed to full-open position or vice versaislimited to aninety degree movement. 'Ibthlsendtheupperfaceoftheyoke llisprovided witha'pair of upstandinlugs 'Il oppositelydispoeedthereonandcooperating with astopcollarllsuitablyboredtoreceivethe polygonalportionll ofthephrgstemandhaving aprojectingluglladaptedtoengageoneorthe otherofthelugs'llwhentheplugisrotatedfrom oneposltiontoanother.

Intheembodlmentshowninl'lgs.3and4a body 84 is provided with the usual fluid passagewayandatransveraetaperedvalveseatll. The larger end of the'valvelseat Il isprovided with a stepped recess Il for'/ the reception of a cover Il. In thisinstance a tapered plug memberllsimilartothatdescribedintheprevlous embodiment (Figs. 1 and 2) may be employed andboththeplugrnenberandbodymaybeprovided with cooperating lubricant grooves in the seatingsurfacecsimliarto'thoeepreviouslydeacribedherein.

Inthiainstancmthecoverlispreferablyof annularfomismmtedlooeelyonaxtemiil proieetingfromtheplugandissecuredtothe bodyubymeansofstudscarryingnuts Ill forthlapurposeintermediatetheirends. Apachinggland Il! havingaplurality of.inthisin 'giandindependentlyofthecoverlt Inthiain- 'ila bushing iii having nn annular Mc lll proiectingthe'retromandforrning aleat foren anu-mammelle. 'rnepeanngamm ingarehouaed'withm'arecela-Il! formedin the undenideofayuhemember IIL Theperiphery mately with respect to the .ears es of the gland l |02. Such a construction permits` studs |28 to extend from the cover 92 beyond the gland |02 and through the ears |26 and carry nuts |30 by which the yoke |24 may be adjusted in position. As in the previously described embodiment the end of the plug stem may beof-polygonal form and carry a'collar v|32 having .a lug |34 which cooperates with upstanding lugs |36 formed 'l on the yoke |24 tolimit the rotation. of the plug to a ninety degree movement.

In both of the herein described embodiments of the invention the plug member is maintained permanently seated vby the thrust element. There is no separation between the plug and its' seat due to lubricant or line pressure lifting the plug and consequently the seating surfaces are preserved in Agood condition. The thrust element bears on the plug stem which is of comparatively small area and the friction `against turningis thereby kept at a minimum. It the anti-friction bearing as described is used at this point it will be apparent that the turning moment will be low;

and little lubricant will be necessary to adequatelylubricate the valve.

There is no downward thrust exerted by the packing or other elements of the valve and' it is retained in its seat solely by the thrust element bearing on the stem. The packingis not sub-7 jected to'varying degrees of pressure due to a1- ternate lifting and seating of the plug but is maintained under a pressure 'suitable for the sole purposev of preventing leakage.- `The packingy ischamber and provided with a cooperating seating surface, meanst for distributing lubricant under pressure between the seating surfaces, a cover rigidly secured to said body overlying said valve member .but out of contact therewith, a

stem extending from the larger end `of said valve` lengthwise of the cover for compressing the packmember and projecting beyond said cover, packing in said cover, means to compress said packing radially against said stem, a yoke member operatively connected to the projecting en d of the stem beyond said cover, means associated with said yoke for exerting a continuous axial thrust upon said valve member tending to urge said member against its seat. said means being adjustable for maintaining the valve member seated and freely rotatable under pressure of the Y uid in said passageway, the thrust exerted by said means .being otherwise counteracted solely, by contact of the valve member and seat, and an anti-friction element interposed between said yoke and stem.

2. In a lubricated plug valve, a body member 1 having a fluid passageway therethrough and a valve chamber provided with a tapered seating surface, a rotatable valve member seated in said chamber and provided with a cooperating seat` ing surface, means for distributing lubricant under pressure between the seating surfaces, a stem extending from the larger end of the valve member and defining a shoulder thereon, a cover rigidly secured to the body overlying the shoulder but out of contact therewith, said cover having an annular recess surrounding the stem and ing in the stumng box to force it radially against the stem, a. reduced portion on the stem defining a shoulder beyond the gland, a yoke member operatively connected with the l stem shoulder, means extending from said cover and cooperating with said yokel for exerting a continuous `axial' thrust upon said valve member tending to urge said memberv against its seat, said means l being adjustable for maintaining the valve member seated and freely rotatable under pressure of the fluid in said passageway, the thrust exerted by said means being otherwise counteracted solely by contact of the valve member and seat, and

yoke and the stem shoulder. i

- JOSEPH E. ADERHOLD, Jn.

` an anti-friction element interposed between said 4 

